Automobile-headlight.



J. C. BACKUS.

AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATIGN mm mm 22.1916.

1,223,657. Patented Apr. 24, 19!? 2 SHEETS-SNEI I.

noentoz J. C. BACKUS.

AUTOMOBILE HEADUGHT.

uwucmon FILED JUNE 22.1916.

1,223,657. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ammutoz (76/272 C'fiacll'us' abbomoqi JOHN CLAYTON BACKUS, 0F SMETHPORI', PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE-HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2-1, 1917.

Application filed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joun CLAYTON Returns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smethport. in the county of Mc Kean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile headlights and has as its object to provide an automobile headlight having a reflector in cluding a movable section which may be turned about a horizontal axis so as to cause the light rays to be reflected downwardly onto the road surface, thereby preventing the blinding glare from the headlight confusing the driver of an approaching machine and also enabling the driver of the machine equipped with the headlight embodying the present invention, having full view of the road surface immediatelyin front of the machine which he is driving so that he may avoid striking ruts or ditches in the said road surface.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the operating means for the reflector of the headlight that after the re flector has been turned so as to reflect the rays in a downward direction, and the operating mechanism is released, the said reflector will be returned to its normal position automatically.

Another aim of the invention is to provide means whereby the operator may initially determine the normal position assumed by the movable reflector section of the headlight so that under normal driving conditions the rays may be reflected in a downward direction at a slight angle or directly forwardly as may suit the convenience of the driver of the machine.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an automobi e equipped with a pair of headlights constructed in accordance with the present invention Fi 2 1s a rear elevation of one of the head ights, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical front to rear sectional view through one of the headlights, the said view illustrating in full lines the normal position of the movable reflector section and in dotted lines one of the positions which the said section may assume when it is adjusted to reflect the rays in a downward direct-Ion F 1g. 4 1s a view, partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, illustrating a pair of the headlights and the connect ng means between the movable reflector sections thereof.

While the principles of the present inven tion may be embodied in a single headlight mounted at any convenient point upon the machine, the present invention illustrates the manner of employing a pair of headlights located one at each side at the front of the machine and having their movable reflector sections connected for operation in unison. Inasmuch as the headlights are of counterpart construction, a specific de scription of one will sufiice for both.

The headlight embodying the present in vention includes a casing shell which is in dicated in general by the numeral 1 and which is substantially of hollow semispherical form and this casing shell is {no vided at its underside with a socket 2 receiving the upper end of a supporting standard 3 which is mounted at any convenient point upon the frame of the machine. The numeral 4 indicates a rim which surrounds the open front of the casing shell 1 and this rim serves as a support or frame for the lens of the headlight which is indicated by the numeral 5.

The reflector of the headlight includes a. fixed section which is indicated by the numeral 6 and which is substantially of frusto conical form and is arranged within the forward portion of the casing shell 1 with its major end foremost and is provided at its said end with a circumscribing flange 7 which abuts against the edge of the open forward side of the casing shell and is held fixedly in place by means of the said rim 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The reflector further includes a movable or adjustable section which is indicated by the numeral 8 and is substantially of hollow semi-spherical form. The forward open side of this section is of a diameter to fit substantially snugly within the minor end of the fixed reflector section 6 although the section. 8 may have movement upon its mountings which will he presently described, within the said end of the fixed section. In mounting the movable section within the minor end of the fixed section,

a .\ot i is fitted through the sides of the set-(ions l1 and H which are the outer sides ulu-o the headlight is in place upon the inaehilu and. in horizontal aliueuient with the pilot ll a pivot It) is tilted through the Walls of thi said sections and is of course, l-wat d dianietrieulit opposite the pivot 9. the mots U and are loeated relatively lose to the rear edge of the seetion (l and !'el:|li\' l\ rinse to the forward edge ol the \Mlll of tin seetioli 5. Wurtherniore the ]Il\'il[ ti and ill are eoiui-ntrle to the are desi'iilnal h the relleetor section H in front to rear \i'l'lltdi see iou and, therel'ore, the sol ion may he tilted or turned within the: oiiuoi rod oi till dtll'll'l ll without Hll 'll mow-men! tiring; iutertrr d with to: the said s tiou i The pivot l is provided with an xude-ion ll uhivh projects through and a ll il distant-e liey nd the asing shell l and to this proiwtinu' portion of the pool there i titled one end of a sleeve it! secured ill plai in u set s wn ill, Fitted into the oppioitiend of tluslew o if is a, eonnceting iol ll cured in plare in means of it set l iii and this rod ll extends transii r wlv ol' the {rout of the machine and in t ask ol' the \xord, hl \'(('Ii the two pivots to It \Ylil lie :unlorstood thattlie pivotsl larc li' d iili relation to th respective reflector nations s and ha \ei tree rotary movement in the rwpeetiie reliector seetions 6 and easing shells l. illierefort when the connecting rod ll 1% i( lll;llt"4i the relleetoi scetions 8 ill l-e wirrespondinulr os illated or rocked in lliiimi! and to ie win l :ree. in order hat the rod I may he os lilttii fll as nluw SlZtUd t i imided a! any uitable point lo its} All with :I l' i d; :iiln it to which l o an op Ei gr uire or rod l7 ll ll to warm iiwli' 1- in) suitable up i f r; iiii-i -l 'll i e mi. (not shovinl lliwhitltii o n t -i' l or any other coniHili! pail oi i o ltl int n o i i in i or; an el etrir lamp so lul nhi l wiiiiil mounted eij-ntrally in th hurl; ol' tlvv relleetor eetion 8 and the numeral in in-hoies 111i lertrie lamp illl uhirh 1: lil' ll no the aid socket 18. rlll l' tor omgo l: ads to the socket 18 till ipassed freely through :i sleeve 21 arranged ithiu the ll ortion of the easing h ll l. in ord r that a ress :uay lye had to [lie l-irnp soehet 1b the rasinL' shell 1 is 5 no 1 i l in its rear \Hlt with an o ening into which is titl d a elotore U73 provided at in ll-lie) edge uith an al -i those 21,- .leai med to rest against the inner .ide of the iir. (using shell at the upper side of the opening Q2 and at its lower edge prowd-d uith a flang 2-; desiened to rest iifdlilr-l haouter or ear fa e ol the casing hell 1 at the lower ode of the said opening set screw ill is fitted through the Hangi- L and into a threaded soeliet in the easing shell and serves to retain the closure 23 in place. It will be understood at this point that the peculiar disposition of the [hinges 2i and :25 will prevent entrance of water into the :asin; shell.

In order that the reflector section 8 may he normally and yieldably held in a predetermined position so that the light rays Will he i'ellei'ted 'l'orwardly either directly or at a slight downward angle a spring 27 is eonneeted at one end. as at to the lower side of the refleetor swtion (l and at its other end, as at 2th to the underside of the relleetor seelion ti and in order further, that the niouunent of the relleetor section 8 under the inl'luenee of the spring 27 may be limited, a stop fill) is 'lrovided upon the un der side of the se tion Ft and is designed to allot against the inner end of an adjusting sereu ill fitted through a suital'ile bearing 32 in the ioulerside of the casing shell 1 and proiided at its outer end with a polygonal head 413 to permit oi ready adjustment of th said serew 31. A jam nut 34 is fitted. to the screw and is designed to be tightened to hear against the hearing: 32 whereby to hold the screw in adjusted position.

From the foregoing description of the in rention it will he understood that by moving the ronueetion l7. oscillatory motion may be imparts-d to the connecting rod 14 for the purpose of simultaneously rocking the relleetor sections and that such movement of the sections, as, for example to the dotted li o, osition shown in Fig. 3 of the draw lugs will he against the tension of the spring 27 (if course wh n the sections are moved, as dated and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the light rays will he reflected downwardly on to the road surface- After havin; passed an oncoming machine, or after ohstructions in the road surface have been passed and it is desired to again have the light rays reflected directly forwardly, the operating! lever to which the member 17 is eonnected is released and the springs 27 will autonmtically return the sections 8 to the full line position shown in Fig. 3, or to such osition that the abutment lugs will strike against the ends of the adjusting screws 31. In the full line position of the reflector section 9 shown in Fig. of the drawings, the light rays will be reflected directly forwardly; but should it he desired to reflect the e riiys downwardly at a slight angle, the abutment screws 31 may he adjusted so as to tilt the said reflector sections 8 to the desired degree.

Having thus desrrilfld themvention, What is elaiuied as new is.

l. in a headlight a easing, a reflector mounted Within the easing for turning moieinent. means opemhle to turn the refieetor in one direetioin means tending to turn the rellertor in the opposite direction,

and adjustable means disposedbetween and carried by thereflector end the casing for limiting the turning movement of the reflector in the last-mentioiwd direction.

5 2. In a headlight, a casing, a reflector mounted within the casing for turning movement, means tending to turn the reflector in one direction, an abutment upon the said reflectoran adjustable abutment screw carried by the casing for eoaction with the abutment, and means operable to turn the reflector in the opposite direction.

3. In a headlight, a casing, a reflector sec tion mounted fixedly in the front end of the easing, a movable reflector section disposed in the rear portion of the. casing and having its front end disposed within and pivoted to the rear end of the firstmentioned reflector section, means connected to the two reflector sections tending to normally hold the movable section in a set position, means between the casing and the movable section for varying said set position and means for turning the movable section.

4. In a headlight, a support, a reflector mounted thereon for tilting movement, means tending, to tilt the reflector in one (.llI'LUtiOIL means for tilting the reflector in the. opposite direction, and counting abutment elements upon the reflector and support for limiting the tilting movement of the refimtor in the first mentioned direction, one of said elements being adjustable.

In testimony whereof I nflix my signature.

JOHN CLAYTON BACKUS. [In 8.] 

